Laine Morgan

A Hard Post to Write

2006-10-31T11:48:00.000-08:00

I'm tired of being two people. Anyone can probably figure out that Laine Morgan is my pen name. Well, I'm sorry to say, Laine Morgan is no more. Yes, her books will still be on sale awhile, until contracts run out, but I am no longer writing under that pen name. There can be no walking the fence. I'm talking about being a Christian, of course. You can't claim to be a Christian and write the stuff I write. I know I may get lambasted by some romance writers out there, but its not an opinion, its a FACT. I didn't write the Bible. I knew it was wrong the very day I started writing my first book - Thieves Bounty. I knew it writing every book after that. God was not pleased. I wasn't using my talent for His glory at all. Yes, under my real name, I wrote some Christian articles and short stories, but the majority of my writing was wrong. Lately, that feeling of God's disapproval has been heavy on me. I've been praying and reading through the New Testament, reading passages about doing all for His glory, and a whole slew of other passages that tell me what I've been doing is wrong.

Anyway, I've repented and made a commitment to God that I will write only Christian non-fiction and fiction. Please, romance writers, don't take this as an attack against you or your writing. This is my personal decision, something I have to do.

Anyway, the first thing I did after this commitment was to delete all the trash off my hard drive-all my works in progress that don't glorify God. I was worried about all my stories coming out through Samhain. Most of the books were scheduled to come out next year, except for Isabella's Angel, which was supposed to come out November 14th. I had no idea how to break those contracts.

However, God stepped in, and I tell you, I couldn't be happier. As many of you know, my editor tragically and suddenly passed away recently. Samhain hired new editors to take her place, and I got an email from an editor saying she had read Isabella's Angel and basically said she didn't like it and was suspending publication until I had rewritten the entire thing. Then, she said that she was suspending all my other contracts until I had rewritten those, too (she hadn't even read those). Isabella's Angel was never meant to be a conventional romance. It broke nearly all the rules. I had rewritten it once to the former editors specifications, and honestly, I'm not up to rewriting it again. The email ended by saying that if I wanted out of my contracts, I could write the publisher to get the process started. Which is what I did.

Anyway, I won't be updating this blog anymore, but if you still want to keep up with me, I started a blog under my real name: www.mindyfausey.blogspot.com

I'd be thrilled for you to keep reading!

Bye Bye Birdie

2006-10-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

Well, my husband and kids didn't make it on the plane yesterday. After 6 hours of waiting, my husband had enough, and at 12:15, called me to come pick them up. He talked to the ticket agent, though, who told him Saturday's 6:15 AM flight had 70 open seats, and they would definitely make that flight. So, we all got up at 4 AM (yes, 4 AM!!!) to get them to the airport.

I haven't heard from them, and its not 10:30 AM, so I'm assuming they made the flight. Hooray!

Now, I'm just waiting for my 11 year old to wake up so I can take her for a haircut and out to PF Changs. And I need to rent the next volume of LOST. I think I'm almost done with the first season.

Less than one week until our next Las Vegas trip! Starting to get excited, although this will probably be a low key, laid back trip where we just hang out in the room and take it easy. I'm not planning on seeing everything this time. No more whirlwind trips! It took me three days to recover from the last trip!

I got two assignments the other day from a Christian magazine I write for. I'm excited to start work on them. I researched one yesterday, and it will be a great article, I think. The other one will be a little tough, but won't be too hard, I don't think. I'll start writing them tonight, if I can pull myself away from LOST.

Let's see, what else? My ear feels mostly better, although I don't think it has completely drained. I still get a feeling of pressure on the left side of my head off and on, and my balance is funky at best. I was so embarrassed. Yesterday I went to the commissary for some groceries, and there was a stocker unloading boxes, and I turned my head to look at something on the shelf and I lost my balance right in front of the guy and knocked some cans off the shelf. My response to that was the dorkiest thing, I said, "Ooops!" in this high, nervous voice. The stocker probably thought I was drunk, or maybe just an idiot.

The picture today is of me and my little brother, after a night of trick or treating. Back then, that size stash was pretty good. But, for some reason, me and my brother are crying our heads off.

Biting my fingernails...

2006-10-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I took my husband and kids to the airport first thing this morning. They're trying to fly on a pass (which means standby) to Seattle. They can fly very cheap through my step-MIL, who is a flight attendant. However, they're listed as non-revenue, and all revenue passengers take priority.

So, it's hit or miss that they'll actually get on a plane. And so far, one flight has left without them. The next flight is at 12:40, so I'm nervous as heck. The last flight is at 3:40, and if they don't make it, they're not going! At least my kids won't go. My husband will try again by himself tomorrow if he can't get on a plane today.

So, I'm basically not doing much today except for waiting and praying. I was looking forward to a weekend with just my 11 year old. We are planning on going to lunch at PF Changs is we don't have the little kidlets with us.

Enough excitement for one day!

2006-10-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

Well, today I had a special thyroid blood test scheduled. I had to fast last night and this morning. Anyway, I took my kids to the bus stop, thinking I would get to the Air Force base right after they got on the bus, so I could get home and eat. Well, we got to the bus stop, and all the kids are wearing red. I had forgotten today was "Wear Red Day." My son coincedentally was wearing a red sweatshirt, but my daughter was wearing purple. She started to sniffle and tear up when she realized she was the only one not wearing red. So, I raced home, running full speed, tore up the stairs, grabbed a red fleece, and climbed into the van, burning rubber as I screeched out of the driveway (not really, but I was going a little faster than recommended on a neighborhood street). Totally out of breath, I take off her purple fleece and replace it with the red.

And we waited.

The bus didn't come.

Luckily, I have the bus dispatch number in my cell phone, so I called and asked where the bus was. Bus 210 had broken down, and they were sending a replacement.

And we waited some more.

By then, I was getting hungry.

Finally, we all gave up and I piled the kids into the van and took them to school myself. Then I raced to the base hospital, praying that the blood draw line wasn't too long.

I get there finally, and get in the elevator. I have to go from the first floor to the basement - just one floor.

And wouldn't you know, but the ELEVATOR GETS STUCK BETWEEN FLOORS! It was like we suddenly dropped and came to a fast, hard stop. I said, "That didn't feel right," as I swallowed my heart which had leapt to my throat.

The elevator doors didn't open. Me and the other three people started pushing buttons, but the elevator wouldn't open. It just kept shuddering like it was trying to force itself down the rest of the way.

So, we pushed the emergency button and the telephone button, and the lady said she'd send the engineers to let us out.

Fifteen minutes go by, and we can hear the engineers sticking their heads up their butts, scurrying around in total confusion.

Thirty minutes go by, and one of the guys in the elevator starts breathing VERY heavily. Then the engineers say the elevator people are on their way.

Forty five minutes, and the guy is breathing so heavily we can't hear what the "rescuers" are saying outside the elevator.

Finally, I reach over and put my fingers between the doors, and another guy puts his fingers oppsite, and we pull, and somehow, manage to muscle the inner doors open.

We called out, "We've got the inner doors open!" and fifteen minutes later, the outer doors opened and we got to slide/jump out to the basement floor.

I'm so glad I'm not claustrophobic, and doubly glad I didn't have to pee.

Needless to say, I was starving on my way home and indulged in a McDonald's cheeseburger.

Tuesday

2006-10-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a personal revelation that impacted your life?

The other night, I had a terrible dream. Me and the kids were driving down a dirt road to my grandmother's(who passed away almost exactly a year ago). On each side of the road were wide ditches filled with water. My son for some reason was asleep at my side in the drivers seat.

All was okay. The day was sunny. The radio was on.

Then, my son shifted, catching the steering wheel and jerking it. I couldn't believe it, but the next thing I knew we were going into the ditch. On the way down, all I could think was that the water couldn't be that deep, surely not deep enough to cover the van, and more than likely the ditch wasn't wide enough for the van to go all the way to the water. We'd get stuck halfway down, and all of us climb to safety.

Well, the ditch was wide enough for the van and we hit the water with a splash and sunk like a rock. Immediately, we were totally submerged. There was no time to do anything, and I jolted awake with such a feeling of intense hopelessness.

I thought about it the next day, and I realized that I am holding onto my kids too tightly. I'm too protective, too stifling. I worry about them too much. I do believe there's a healthy amount of worry you can have for your kids, but it is so easy to be overprotective. My earth shattering revelation was--God is in control. I can trust Him with my kids. He will watch over them when I can't. He loves them even more than I do, and I don't have to worry.

I can relax, and it is such a weight lifted off my shoulders.

And a little better....

2006-10-22T15:38:00.000-07:00

Today I feel a little better. My left ear is still draining, and when I bend forward it feels like my head is exploding, but all is better than yesterday, which was better than the day before. I can't stop watching Lost. Holy Moly, that show is good! As we speak, Ethan and Jack are fighting after Ethan tried to take Claire again. Ahhhh! Charlie just shot Ethan!

Today is my husband's birthday. We called him earlier and sang to him. He's having a good time in D.C. and is visiting all the memorials today. He'll be home Thursday in time to pick up the kids and head to Seattle for his grandma's 90th birthday. They'll be back in time for Halloween.

Me and the kids visited a pumpkin patch today and picked out three pumpkins. One big and fat, one pear shaped, and one little baby. Cute little pumpkins. It'll be almost a shame to carve them up in my feeble, amateur way. I am no expert pumpkin carver. I'm always amazed at the pumpkins we see on Halloween, with the intricate carvings. Nope, not me. I just carve two triangle eyes, a triangle nose, and a mouth with two buck teeth.

Overall, this has been a good weekend. Relaxing, which is just what I needed. Sometimes I think there is just too much busy-ness. It's good not to have to be somewhere at a certain time. It seems like we're always gearing up for the next thing. Church, karate, bingo night, school activities, all of it. It was nice today to not have any of that, but to just lie on the couch, watch Lost, and let my ears drain.

But tomorrow, its back to busy-ness.

Ahhh...

2006-10-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

Today, my head is a little better. Yesterday was not very good, but today I can feel the left ear draining. I'm still not 100%, but I believe God is taking care of me, and making me better every day. I am not as dizzy today, and the pressure in the left temple is not as bad.

I watched episodes five through eight today of Lost. Whew! I love it! I'm hooked. After church, I think I'll rent the next DVD. I can't believe I've been such a couch potato the last couple days. Once the DVD is on, it's hard to push pause to get anything done!

Tonight is church. I'm looking forward to going.

Not much else. Made cookies and a chicken and rice casserole between episodes of Lost.

Loving Lost

2006-10-20T16:22:00.000-07:00

I rented the first season of Lost, and I have to say, I like it! I'm not a big TV person, but this show has intrigued me, and I wanted to see what all the hype was about. I watched all the way up to when Locke brought back the boar. I can't wait to see what's going to happen next!

My daughter got her pirate costume in the mail today. Very cute, but paid way too much for it.

I won the Patrick Starfish costume for my son, and paid way too much for it, too. Then, when I told my son we won the auction, he started whining that he would look "weird" in it. Now I feel like a pirate...aaarrrggg.

I talked to my husband this afternoon. He had the afternoon off, so he and a friend went to a few of the memorials in D.C. and had a great time. He earned the day off because they worked until after 11 pm last night and didn't get back to the hotel until after midnight. He's part of an inspection team, and they had to have the final report done yesterday, so they were struggling to meet the deadline. Luckily, all went well, and they were able to enjoy most of the day after presenting the report this morning.

Not much else going on. I'm still having some weird dizzy spells and a feeling of pressure in my left temple. I can't wait for the medicine to kick in and get this yuck out of my system!

Thursday

2006-10-19T16:03:00.000-07:00

Another usual day. The only difference was that I treated myself to a movie. I rented Jarhead, with Jake Gyllenhaal. It was okay. I sat through the whole thing, anyway. I also rented the entire first season of Lost. I've never seen it, and have been wanting to check it out. I plan on watching it tomorrow and Saturday.

There are only a couple more weeks until my solo Vegas trip. Or maybe solo. My husband is still planning on coming, if his dad can come watch the kids. Also, if his dad can come, my husband will have to fly stand by, so that's sketchy. He should be able to get on a flight, though, because its a slow weekend for Vegas and there are about a million flights to choose from. Since I already bought my ticket, I'll just go ahead and check in and meet him there. I'm looking forward to it, but not as much as I usually do. Maybe I'm just traveled-out this year.

Tonight is karate night for the kids.

I also bid on a couple Halloween costumes for the kids. My oldest daughter is going to be a pirate, which I foolishly bought at retail from on online Halloween costumer. My six year olds costume arrived today. I won the bid on EBay, and I must say I'm pleased. It's a Lillian Vernon cheerleader costume, brand new. It fits perfectly and is so cute. I'm also bidding on a Patrick Starfish for my son, but am not holding out much hope. I've already bid on and lost two auctions for a deluxe SpongeBob costume. The Patrick costume right now is outrageously low priced, so I'm sure as the auction nears its close, I'll probably be outbid and forced to take my son to Target to pick something out. Why can't things be as simple as when I was a kid? You know, the plastic Casper the Ghost costumes with the goofy masks? It's just hard to justify paying fifty dollars for an outfit they'll wear once and then outgrow.

Not much else going on. I walked with my neighbor today. She moved here from Germany (her husband is an AF Lt. Colonel) and she misses it terribly. Now I want to live in Europe for a tour. I emailed my husband today about it and he said we'd talk/pray about it. In the past, I've been so adamant about trying to get Florida as an assignment, I think I threw him through a loop. I think he would love to do a tour in England or Germany, so maybe he can make it happen. We'll see. If that's where God wants us, that's where He'll send us!

Wednesday Busy-ness

2006-10-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

Salvation Army came this morning and helped to clear away a lot of stuff in the garage. Then I went to get my thyroid blood test, and then to the base to get a new ID.

As the Salvation Army guys were here, my friend and critique partner T. pulled up and said she was in the neighborhood to do an appraisal on a house, so we chatted for a while. It was good to see you, T!

Not much other news. We're doing well, life is good, and I'm happy!

What?!

2006-10-17T17:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I went to the doctor today, and his verdict on my dizzy spells--eustachian tube malfunction. What the heck? Basically, he said its a severe inner ear infection. He said my eustachian tubes were so filled with fluid that it was impossible to clear them when I tried. He said that when I tried to clear them by holding my nose and blowing, they wouldn't budge. Anyway, he prescribed an antibiotic, a decongestant, and some other pill thats supposed to dry everything up, and I have to go back in ten days to make sure the eustachian tubes aren't filled with fluid anymore. I also have to have another thyroid blood test tomorrow.

Let's see--not much else is going on. We almost had a wild night here. My son started burping around 9 pm and saying his tummy hurt. I thought for sure he was going to hurl, but he never did, thank goodness. He fell asleep with a big bowl by his side and slept through the night, and felt better this morning. Whew...I feel like we dodged a bullet with that one. Why do kids wait for a spouse to be out of town before they throw up? Its almost like they wait for it, like they think, "When is the most unopportune time for me to get sick? Of course! When Daddy's out of town!"

Busy Monday

2006-10-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

Had a boatload of stuff to do today. I had to get my driver's license renewed, make dental and doctor appointments, call Salvation Army to schedule a donation pickup, etc. Add to that the daily household chores and its a full day.

I made a doctor appointment for me tomorrow. I've been having some dizzy spells, which are very uncharacteristic of me. I'm thinking maybe I'm anemic, or maybe my synthroid dose is off. But since that food poisoning/calling 9-1-1 thing, I've been feeling a little off. So, hopefully the doctor will order a blood test and figure it out.

In other, better news, I won a contest! Kristen had a contest where if you donated to her breast cancer walk, she'd enter you in a drawing. The prize is a personal pitch to her agent at The Knight Agency, which is considered a "Super Agency" in the writing world. So, anyway, I won, and she'll be pitching Eternal Summer! That definitely boosted my spirits.

Not much else is going on. Other than not feeling real well, everything is going okay!

Balloons Everywhere!

2006-10-15T08:34:00.000-07:00

Balloons all of a sudden started coming down everywhere this morning. The first one was closer to us than any of these pictures. I could literally see the expressions on the faces of the people in the basket, but it was moving so fast and I was so excited and was calling the kids to come see that I didn't get a picture of it! It came down in the field just outside our neighborhood, and me and the kids ran to take a picture, but by the time we got there (kids had to put on sandals), it was already mostly deflated. Despite the helicopters, it really is neat to live so close to the Balloon Fiesta Park. All the balloons coming down, the sound of the flames shooting into the balloons, and the excitement are really neat.

In other news, I have no voice. That cold I had last week has moved into my throat and all I can do is whisper. And croak, if I try hard enough.

But today is a beautiful fall day. Sunshine, upper fifties to low sixties, a light wind. I tell you, Albuquerque is really the hidden gem of places to live. We have culture, great weather, beautiful scenery, all the restaurants you could want, and whatever you want to buy, you can buy it here. We have three big malls, lots of specialty stores. Then, we also have lots of great outdoor activities-snowboarding, skiing, hiking, mountain climbing, biking. The only drawback to this place is there is no surfing or jet skiing. Otherwise, Albuquerque is a treasure that most people don't really know about!

Saturday Part II

2006-10-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our front and backyard during Balloon Fiesta 2006. In the second picture is a weird flash type thing in the upper right hand corner. Anyone know what it is? I have no clue, but it showed up in 2 out of 4 pictures.

Also a picture of my son doing his best at the bowling alley for a neighbor friend's birthday party. He is such a cute little guy...

Saturday

2006-10-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

This morning I take my husband to the airport.

Last night was a fiasco. We thought we'd take the kids to the Balloon Fiesta for the "glowdeo" which is where they fire up the special shapes balloons after dark. The kids wanted to go so badly. But we also wanted to do a little birthday party for my husband, since he'll be TDY on his real birthday. My husband planned to come home early so we could do the birthday dinner and then the glowdeo.

Anyway, my 11 year old decides just as I'm sticking some marinated chunks of filet on the skewers for a BBQ that she wants her friend to sleep over. I said it was okay, as long as her dad brought her over, since my hands were covered in marinade. She talked to her friend, and nope, her dad couldn't bring her over. So, I don't know why I caved. I usually don't. No usually means no in our house. But for some reason, I find myself driving over to the girls house and picking her up. I got halfway there before I realized I had left the BBQ grill on high to heat up. I'm not real familiar with propane, so I had all these visions of my house exploding going through my head. So, I turn around and turn the burners to low, then head back out into traffic.

We get back home, and by now I'm racing to get the BBQ going, the salad ready, the cake decorated, and all that stuff. Right after I put the skewers on the grill, the phone rings and its my husband saying he'll be an hour late. So, I keep BBQing and me and the kids eat.

My husband arrived home and ate, but we decided to head to the glowdeo before cake (homemade) and presents.

So, we finally head to the glowdeo, and the traffic was awful. We got to the Balloon Fiesta Park right as the glowdeo was ending. We did make it in time for the awesome fireworks, though, but I forgot the camera. Then we had to fight the mass exodus out of the park and it took another 45 minutes to get home (the park is about a mile and a half away).

We got home after 9 and had a very late party, which was the bright spot of the day.

I was so tired that I literally collapsed into bed, but my husband had to pack and get ready for his trip, so he was up til 4 am, and consequently, so was I. Then, at about 5 am, a helicopter circles our house until I wake up at 7:30. Well, not really wake up, since I was awake most of the night. I should say got out of bed. The helicopter provides the bird's eye view of the balloon fiesta as the balloons do a mass ascension. So, since we live so close, the helicopter's flight path was right over our roof.

Boy, am I whining or what? That's what happens on literally zero sleep. Today I'm going to try and do some writing. I don't have to cook, and the house is clean, and the chores are done, and its overcast outside. Perfect day for catching up on some writing!

Finally...a post

2006-10-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

As some of you already know, the leftover mac-a-roo cheese didn't sit well in my stomach. The night before I flew home, I had a raging bout of food poisoning and felt so sick I called 9-1-1, sure I was having a heart attack along with the urge to hurl. Well, I wasn't having a heart attack, but I was sick as a dog. I didn't go for a ride in the ambulance, and I didn't sleep that night. I am only now getting back to normal. I'm embarrassed that I called 9-1-1, but I don't get that sick very often, and I can't ever remember feeling quite like I did the other night, like I was really going to keel over. It was very frightening.

Anyway, that's done and in the past, and I'm feeling pretty normal and good today.

My husband leaves on another two week TDY Saturday, this time to DC. He wants our whole family to go to Seattle with him when he gets back on the 26th for his grandmother's 90th birthday celebration. I don't know if me and my oldest daughter will go, though. She's already missed enough school from traveling, and we plan on missing a couple more over Thanksgiving. I don't want the school board coming down on us. So, I'm leaning on not going on that trip.

There's not much else going on. Wish I had something juicy to blog about, but lately, there just hasn't been too much happening.

Monday Night

2006-10-09T16:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I have to say, I'm ready to go home. I miss my husband and my kids.

Every time I come here, I really have this feeling like I would give anything to move back here. I felt it this time, too, but to be honest, not as badly. I love our home in Albuquerque, and I really like Albuquerque. Moving back to FL doesn't seem so imperative anymore.

Maybe I'm discovering that Florida is not the ONLY great place in this world. There are lots of places I can be happy. And maybe I'm learning that contentment can't be found in a place--that it's a state of the heart. I think true contentment is one of the hardest things in life to achieve, and really, I don't think you can achieve it--God has to put it there. And I pray that is what He's putting in me, what He's teaching me. Because I do hunger for real contentment, the kind of peace that you don't get from things or places or money or people.

I do love Florida though, and if we ever do move here, I wouldn't be too sad. :)

In other news, I finished some artwork stuff and the manuscript format for Nerd in a Wolf Suit today. I can't wait to see that come out. I don't have a release date, but will post it as soon as I have one!

And, again, I ate like a pig today--Breakfast at Lily's, Pizza Hut for dinner, Doritos, Dairy Queen, some leftover mac-a-roo cheese, about fifty Cokes. I am not stepping on a scale until I feel some of this lead weight has evaporated. :)

Hodge Podge

2006-10-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

First, I want to announce and plug two fellow authors new books.

Eden Bradley has a recent release from Cobblestone Press. Here's the awesome cover and blurb:

Is it really possible to fulfill the fantasy of a promise made in the passion of youth? On a beach on the small Venezuelan island of Isla de Margarita, Isabel Asher meets once more the love of her life, Rafael Cruz, the man she left behind twelve years earlier. Desire ignites, but can the sultry tropical nights spent in his bed lead them back to love? She’s about to find out, and maybe to have her heart broken in the process...

And also from Cobblestone, Crystal Jordan has a new release:

Bound for the water world of Aquitilis, Jain’s spaceship crashes on an icy planet populated by shape-shifting bears. Kesuk rescues her from the snow, but the laws of his people say she is now his slave. He’ll give her over to the first vessel going to Aquitilis, if he can keep his hands off her.

Okay, now that the promos are out of the way, I can tell you about my day. I saw two alligators today. One was fairly large, I'd say over 5 feet, and was in the lake behind my mom's house. The other was in a lake closeby and was small, maybe 3 feet. But the big guy out back sort of surprised me, because every time I visit, I search for alligators. Sometimes I think I see small ones, but it's hard to tell if its an alligator or a turtle. However, today there was no doubt. The alligator rose to the top of the water and swam near the middle of the lake, against the wind. It stayed on the surface for about 10 seconds before going back under. It was pretty neat!

The Good and Bad About "What Ifs": If you're a writer, asking yourself "What if?" can be a good thing. It helps spark story ideas and helps develop plot. However, if you live life asking yourself "What if?" like in, "What if I drive into the lake?" or "What if this little cough develops into pneumonia and I die?" or "What if the power goes out and all the food spoils?" then that is not good. I know someone who does this, and it drives me crazy. Why worry about stuff that hasn't happened and probably won't happen? The "what ifs" can drive a person insane, if not to an early grave. It's a waste of time and energy worrying about most things. How can you help somebody who is "what ifing" themselves into self-prophetic doom?

Other than that, I ate like a pig again today.

Woohoo! New Release!

2006-10-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

Yay! Heart of the Amazon was released today through New Concepts Publishing! I love this story! Out of all my stories, this is one of my favorites. If you like Greek Mythology and the legend of the Amazons, you'll love Heart of the Amazon.

In other news, I made it safely to Florida. My mom and I had a busy day. We had breakfast at Lily's, then went to a furniture store so my mom could buy a dining room set, then ran a few other errands. We went to Blockbuster. I wanted to rent X-Men 3, but they were out, so I settled for Fantastic 4. Then we went to Steak -n-Shake and got milkshakes.

The rest of the day we're just going to relax. I might go out to grab a bite to eat later, if I don't want to just be lazy.

Anyway, I might write more later after my mom goes to bed. I'm still on ABQ time, so ten o'clock here is like eight to me.

8:25 PM - Wah! I had just did a long addendum to this post, and it was even sorta interesting, when the power went out and I lost it all. I guess it wasn't that interesting, because I am in no mood to re-type it all!

Oh yeah, I wanted to tell you about the book I'm reading. It's called Keeping Faith, by Jodi Picoult. Holy cow, it's good. She is an awesome writer, and I don't say that about too many authors. I aspire to be that good one day. Her descriptions are so real, her emotions so true to life. Just an excellent, emotive book. Her characters could be your next door neighbors, they're that real.

Missed a Day

2006-10-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was busy, so I didn't get a chance to blog. My husband's dad and stepmom flew in last night, and I had to do some light packing, and the cleaning ladies came, and the kids had an ice cream social at AWANA.

Today, I had my first physical therapy appointment for my ruptured disk. It was good. I found out my flexibility issues are a result of short hamstrings. The therapist said I had the shortest hamstrings he'd ever seen, and that's the reason I can't touch my toes. He also said my muscles were very strong (working out helps), and that with the right exercises and posture, I can travel without painkillers. That's the goal anyway. He said my short hamstrings and prior back injury make me prone for another injury, and usually the second rupture is much worse. I don't want that, so I'll do whatever he says! Tomorrow's trip to FL will be the testing ground for the therapist's technique. I'll try it--hopefully I can make the whole flight without a painkiller!

After the PT, I made a quick batch of cookies, and then my FIL and step MIL went to take the new car in to the window tinters, who had to replace the tint on the back passenger window because of a tear. While we waited for the window tint, we walked over to Landry's and had an awesome lunch on the outdoor patio. The weather was great, the food was great, and the conversation was great. What a nice lunch we had!

Anyway, tomorrow is FL! I'll write when I get there!

Busy Day

2006-10-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

Today's gonna be busy. I've got to take the BMW in after I get the kids on the bus. It's going to be gassed up, detailed and floor mats are going to be put in. They're giving me a loaner, and I'll take that on the million different errands I have to run today.

Then I have to come home and do some work. I got my contract from Triskelion for Nerd in a Wolf Suit, and I have to print that out, initial and sign it. Then, I have to do the art questionairre and blurbs, and then I have to reformat the entire manuscript in a particular way. They are very specific about how they want the manuscript, so it will be a full day's work, I have a feeling. But, I am so glad it found a home!

My in laws are coming again on Thursday and will stay until the 10th to help out with the kids while me and my daughter are in Florida. The deciding factor was the Balloon Fiesta, which starts the 6th and is practically in our backyard. We have awesome views. Anyway, that makes me feel better. I won't have to ask the neighbor to pick up the kids from the bus stop after all.

I'm feeling better. I don't know why colds are harder on me than they are on the kids. Probably because I'm a wimp.

Oh yeah, yesterday my husband was really nervous at his ceremony and forgot to give me a bouquet of flowers. I wasn't expecting anything, so I didn't notice. So, when he came home, I met him out in the driveway (I'm like June Cleaver that way) and he popped the trunk and asked if I could get the stuff out of it. So, when I looked in the trunk there was a huge bouquet of flowers with a note that said, "I love you!"

I swear, tears came to my eyes, especially after all we've been through in the past year or so.

I love that man and I thank God for him!

My New Major

2006-10-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

My husband pinned on Major today. He's actually one of the lowest ranking members in a very top heavy squadron. The squadron has 22 (yes, 22!) Lt. Colonel's.

My husband introduced me to the squadron exec, and I was totally amazed. I said, "I know you!" and it turns out, I did. When I worked as a contract manager about 10 years ago, I attended a class at Ft. Lee, VA, and a young 2nd Lt. sat behind me. This was the same guy! I had hung out with him and another Lt. during the seven days we were at Ft. Lee! Wow! What a small, small world!

Anyway, here are a couple of pics from the ceremony.

Why Do I Do This to Myself?

2006-10-01T15:39:00.000-07:00

Man, I am stuffed. And sick. Yuck. I looked forward to this BBQ all stinking week, and wouldn't you know, I got almost zero sleep last night (due to a nearly 102 fever) and woke up with no appetite and feeling like dog poo. But, by God, I love marinated steak and cheeseburgers, so nothing short of death would keep me from eating.

So, I ate a steak kabob, some rice, and a cheeseburger, and I am feeling so, so sick. I will probably never learn. I'm getting ready to just curl up on the couch and probably die.

In other good news, I put the Camry on craigslist and the first guy to come look at it, bought it! Yay! And this guy is paying double what the Nazi BMW dealer was going to give us for a trade-in. It made my husband's day.

You know what sort of stinks? Having to go to my husband's promotion ceremony tomorrow with a red, chapped nose. I very much dislike being sick!

The Newest Member of Our Family

2006-09-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

4:45 PM: Still sick. I'm missing out on the neighbor's kid's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's and the zoo. Fever, sore throat, muscle aches, snot factory. Yuck. I did happen to wash the van and finish putting the BBQ grill together before I felt too blah. My husband and I also walked to the store this morning and got some yummy meat and marinade for tomorrow's BBQ.

I heard a great thing on SpongeBob today:

Patrick Starfish: "What's claustrophobia?"
SpongeBob: "The fear of Santa Claus."

My husband even laughed at that but promptly told our kids that was not what claustrophobia really was.

Story to come later....but for now, here is "Junior."

A Trip Down Alzheimer's Lane

2006-09-27T08:46:00.000-07:00

The following post means no disrespect to my former grandparent's in law (now deceased). But, really, it is funny. My husband and I were trying to put our bookshelves in some kind of logical order yesterday, and I found an old journal I had made when my exhusband and I were living with his grandparents, both of whom had Alzheimer's. The disease is vicious, cruel and debilitating, but really, after sixteen years, its easier to see the humor in these journal entries. Here is my entry, dated 28 Nov 1990:

Well, we moved in, and things are going great, if not strange. Tom's grandparents are so confused. All the time. Things that have happened:

Pitch dark outside. Tom's grandfather looks at the time and says, "It's 9:25. Now if I only knew if it was 9:25 am or 9:25 pm."

Grandmother says she's 89 years old (she's 80). Tom tries to correct her and gives her the year she was born. She snaps back saying, "I can pick my own dates!" Grandfather looks very confused and says, "Well, Thomas, how old does that make me?" The conversation gets out of control and Grandfather says he is 91 instead of 83.

Grandfather makes some soup. He's looking for a large soup ladle. Tom finds a small one, but he doesn't want it. Grandmother opens a drawer and pulls out an ice cream scoop and says, "Here it is." Grandfather says, "That's not a soup ladle, that's an ice cream scoop!" And she says, "Well, that's what I use it for!" and storms out of the room.

I walk up to Grandfather, who is looking into the corner of the kitchen. I say "Hi" and he nearly jumps out of his skin. I've never seen him so animated. He states he is looking for the telephone book, which is sitting plain as day next to the telephone, where it's probably been the last 20 years. I show it to him. He can't find the doctor's number. I find it. He can't dial it. So I do.

Grandfather comes to get Tom and aasks him to switch the TV to the FM mode, which is quite impossible of course.

Today my name is Cindy, for some reason.

Right now I'm listening to them bicker in the kitchen. Grandmother states she is perfectly capable of running the house alone. Grandfather says, "No, you are not."
Grandmother - "Yes, I am. Stop countermanding me!"
Grandfather - "No, you aren't, dear. You can't drive."
Grandmother - "No, I'm not able to drive, but I can shop! I'm sick of you always countermanding me! I'm liable to walk right out of the house and never return - now stop countermanding me!"

They never know the day, the date, or the time.

Grandfather heats some tamales in the microwave, and about 30 seconds later, forgets where they are.

One day I found some soggy tamales in the dishwasher. And an apple.

Sometimes Grandfather has both socks on the same foot. Sometimes he puts his belt on like a tie. Almost always his shoes are on the wrong feet.

That's all I'll do for today. I'll post the rest of the little Alzheimer's nuggets tomorrow. I didn't know that journal entry would be quite so long.

Busy and Tired

2006-09-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

I didn't sleep well last night. Someone's car or house alarm went off at like two AM and stayed on about 20 minutes. We sleep with the windows open because it is nice and cool, so the sound was loud, and after that, I didn't really go back to sleep. So, today was tiring. After the kids got on the bus, my neighbor and I did our 30 minute fast walk, and later today, my husband and I walked thirty minutes to Starbucks (I got a huge rice krispy treat for my breakfast tomorrow) and then walked thirty minutes back. My husband takes some long strides and it was hard to keep up!

He's got this entire week off, which has been nice. We've been eating lunch together and running errands. Friday is the big day, because we get to go to Tucano's Brazialian Grill for lunch and after that we get to go trade in our little Toyota for a BMW! Yippee! We've been thinking about it for a while, and since we have some money left over from our house decorating budget, we thought now would be a good time to trade up.

This weekend is also going to be busy. Saturday the two little ones go to Chuck E. Cheese's for a birthday party, then we're going to some event at the zoo. Sunday, there's another birthday party, and my FIL comes. We're planning a big BBQ (marinated steak and veggie kabobs and cheeseburgers) Sunday afternoon.

Monday morning is my husband's big promotion ceremony.

I'm trying not to eat like a pig this week, and in fact trying to lose a couple of "buffer" pounds for my FL trip, so that I can eat like a pig while I'm there. For example, starting last Friday, my breakfasts have consisted of toast, and my lunch has been a deli roasted chicken sandwich, dry. I've had a few M & M's, a few Hershey's Kisses, but for the most part, I've been good, and have dropped the three pounds I gained the other weekend, plus two more. Now I just want to lose two or three more as a buffer. Tomorrow, I get to have the rice krispy treat for breakfast, but I'll just eat half of a chicken sandwich for lunch. The hard part will be maintaining my weight over the weekend, especially Sunday afternoon with the BBQ. I know I can do it--I'm determined when I want to be!

Anyway, I also did a lot of work today. Mostly sending out queries to a Christian magazine I write for. They just bought another article, which brings the total sold to them up to seven, I think. I make about $154 a 1200 word article, which isn't too bad!

More major news

2006-09-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

I don't want to jinx it, but my husband and I are going to probably make a major purchase on Friday, and it happens to look a lot like this:

All right, he can come...

2006-09-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

I decided to bring my husband with me on my next Vegas trip. Especially since he let me purchase a new sweaterdress and boots from Victoria's Secret. Pictures are below. I was flipping through the channels the other day and I saw Oprah wearing the same kind of boots (although hers probably cost $5000) and I thought they looked good on her, and would look even better on me (I have long, long legs). :)

Major News

2006-09-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

My husband gets to pin on Major about six months earlier than he thought he would! He's pinning on October 2nd, and his dad (a retired Colonel) is flying in for the big occasion. Both his dad and I are going to actually "pin on" my husband's new rank. The military loves to throw big parties, so my husband and I will be bringing in breakfast casseroles, Krispy Kremes by the dozens, juice, fruit, and other breakfasty things, since the ceremony is in the morning.

Then, my daughter and I are going to Florida on Oct. 6 through the 10th. My husband will go on a three week TDY starting October 15th, and I will go on my mini-Vegas weekend on November 3rd. A busy month or so coming up!

Today is overcast and cool. Fall is definitely here!

My husband comes home today. He should be landing any time now. In anticipation, I haven't really done anything all day except watch the clock!

Here's a picture from our trip to the zoo a few weeks ago. The lion is doing what all the other animals were doing that particular day.

Going to FL?

2006-09-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

Update: We're going to FL. I bought the tickets tonight. My husband said he'd be able to handle the two little ones for a few days, and my neighbor is also going to help out. So, I'm happy. I'll be glad to get away for a few days in between my husband's TDY's.

My mom and brother asked me and my 11 year old to come to FL for a week in October. She is really lonely and missing my dad. My brother wants me to help my mom with her finances and get caught up on some things. So, I haven't given the okay yet, because I'm just not sure. My husband has to go TDY for 3 weeks in October. So, if I go to FL the first week, then he's out of town until the 31st, then I go to Las Vegas the first week in November. That'll be almost a month apart. I'm just not sure that would be very healthy. Anyway, I told my husband about it, and he said we'd pray about it. So, we'll see.

Other than that, things are slow here. Not much going on. I'm moving along with The Dragon's Kiss.

The landscape looks good. Hopefully we'll have our first BBQ this weekend.

Tears for our fathers...

2006-09-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

After the kids went to bed last night, I cried some more for Steve Irwin. Geez, I didn't know what was the matter with me, sobbing for this man I didn't even know and had never met. But then I realized, I wasn't really crying for Steve, I was crying for my own dad, who died last November. I had never really allowed myself to grieve for him, instead I tried to be strong for my mom and my kids. My dad wasn't a Steve Irwin, but he was larger than life, too. I never thought he would be taken from me so quickly.

I realized that in grieving for Steve, I was also really grieving for my dad for the first time in almost a year.

So, goodbye again, Steve, and goodbye, Dad.

Goodbye, Mate

2006-09-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

Me and my kids watched the Steve Irwin Memorial tonight, and cried our eyes out. I cried through the whole thing, but my kids held out til the end. When they started displaying the pictures of Steve with his kids, my five year old lost it, just totally burst into tears. Then my six year old followed suit. I didn't think it would be so hard on them, but it was. That little girl and boy lost their daddy, and I think it struck a chord and had them wondering what it would be like to lose their own daddy. The whole thing spawned a conversation about death and heaven. Afterwards, in the bath, they were still crying and my daughter said, "Why did that stingray kill him? I HATE that stingray!" How do you explain why things happen? All I could think of to say is that God is in control, and when He wants you to be with him in Heaven, He calls you home. I also clarified that there are no tears in Heaven, and that Steve wasn't missing his family and that God and all the angels and all the people who already died were with him, and that He was happy. And Steve's little girl Bindi, what a little heroine she was, so brave and strong. I told my kids that she knew her daddy was safe in Heaven, and that she wasn't crying anymore because she knew her dad was happy. She knew her dad died doing what he loved.

And I also assured them that God was watching over us, and Steve's family. He will care for them, and He will care for us.

But, it still broke my heart when my son said, "I think I'll cry myself to sleep tonight."

Goodbye, Steve, you will be missed.

Back to Monday

2006-09-18T16:43:00.000-07:00

Well, Monday's sorta stink. Back to waking up at the crack of dawn and rushing to get the kids off to school. This morning was sort of nice, though, because it was chilly. Today was the first day the kids wore jeans. After the bus came, me and my neighbor went for a forty minute walk. It was nice to have some adult conversation.

I did some work on my new book, The Dragon's Kiss, and it is really good. It feels great not to be writing a romance.

The landscapers are here putting down the crushed refine gravel. The backyard is almost done! All that's left is the planting and the flagstone patio.

I went to Old Navy today to get the kids some jeans. I thought I had a good handle on sizes, but it turns out I bought too small on both my daughters. Ugh. So I've got to go back tomorrow, wah.

Other than that, my life is boring. Nothing exciting at all going on. My husband gets home Friday. So far, we have nothing planned this weekend, but my husband doesn't have to work at all next week, so we'll probably do lunch a few times.

By the way, Saturday was such a good day I gained three pounds. We had Wendy's and Dominoes, and rice krispy treats and about 50 Cokes. Ugh. So this week I'm getting back onthe diet wagon. I didn't lose all this weight to gain it right back. I think that's the goal to maintaining weight loss--when you realize you've put on a few pounds, you go right back to work to take it back off.

I love this place!

2006-09-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

New Mexico is awesome. If it just had an ocean it would be the best place on earth. We are having another BEAUTIFUL day. Mid 70's, dry, not a cloud in the sky. I mowed the lawn and my neighbor was gracious enough to come help me with the lawn mower. My kids helped me scout the yard for any rocks. Afterward, I weed eated around our baby sycamore and edged. The yard looks fantastic, if I do say so myself.

We have a new neighbor that moved in today on our left. Right now it just looks like a man. I didn't see any wife or kids. I introduced myself and offered to help out with anything he might need. The movers were still going in and out, so we didn't talk too much, but found out he moved from Melbourne, FL, which is very close to where I grew up! Anyway, its nice to see the houses in this new neighborhood filling up. Everyone is so friendly. I don't ever want to leave!

The landscapers came today and finished the second out of five phases of our backyard xeriscape. The cobblestone "river" is done, and now the 3/4" gravel is down. Next is Sante Fe crushed refine, which they'll do Monday. Then, Tuesday they'll start on our flagstone patio, and last they'll plant some colorful plants. It's coming along nicely!

I played catch with my two little ones after we finished the yard. The day is so beautiful, it's a shame to be indoors. In fact, the only reason I'm here blogging is because we took a cookie break.

Anyway, I'm having a great, relaxing Saturday and hope you are, too!

More Pics

2006-09-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

Here's just a few random pictures, since I really don't have any news today. This first one is from the zoo.

This is a praying mantis on a bush in our front yard.

This is "Uncle Dave" and my son.

And the last is of my daughter and her friend Holly. Yes, they have on matching shirts that say, "I love pie." Do not ask me why. For all I know, this is one of their many "secret codes."

Picture Day

2006-09-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from the recent Vegas trip:

This first picture is a good example of what not to wear on a Friday night in Vegas. I think every drunk guy that passed us (and most of them were drunk), exclaimed "Found It!" or "Hey, Dude, what did ya find?" The T-shirt was a promotional t-shirt he got at Harrah's last year. Anyway, I think he learned his lesson about wearing that shirt in Vegas at night.

This next picture is kinda cool, because it sort of looks like I'm wearing a crown of flames, doesn't it?

The next one was taken in front of the Treasure Island Siren pirate ship. Wonder why my husband wanted to pose in front of this one so badly?

It Feels Good

2006-09-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

I'm finally feeling normal again and it feels good!

I am a firm believer in "a body in motion stays in motion." For the last two days, I went back to bed after I sent the kids to school and basically moped around on the couch. Today, I stayed out of bed, did my workout DVD, worked my abs, and went for a 30 minute fast walk. Then I came home, cleaned up the bathrooms, and am thinking about mowing the lawn(If the grass dries from this mornings watering).

If you stay active, your body responds by WANTING to move. And if you move enough, you lose weight and stay in shape. Your body is a wondrous machine that you can actually train to crave motion and activity. Try it. Keep busy for the next two weeks. Work out every day. At first its hard, but by the end of the two weeks, you feel lousy if you don't work out. Your body has learned to crave that daily activity, and when you oblige, you feel GOOD.

Today the weather is beautiful, with a touch of fall in the breeze. Its sunny and cooler than its been. I don't even have the AC on today.

Here are a couple more Vegas do's and don'ts:

DON'T check a bag for a weekend trip. Most hotels will give you all the free toiletries you need. With current security measures, you'll be waiting at the baggage carousel for the last two flights before they get to your flights bags. We waited almost an hour for our bags on our arrival in Vegas, and on the way home, we waited an hour before discovering the airline lost our bags. It's not worth it--buy the toothpaste in the hotel shop.

DO check out M&M World. It's located by MGM Grand on the Strip. They have everything you could possibly think up with the M&M theme, as well as every color M&M under the rainbow.

If you like to eat, DON'T bother with the fancy, expensive restaurants. They usually don't serve enough to keep a bird alive. Try Outback Steakhouse next to Harrah's or a buffet if you like big portions like I do.

DO request an upgrade at your hotel. If you book online, type in "Suite if available" in the additional requests box. You'll be amazed at what you might get, especially if there isn't anything going on that weekend. DON'T slip the hotel desk clerk any money unless they show hesitation. If they give you a firm "NO" right up front, then don't waste your tip.

DO drink lots of water while you're there, especially if you're walking a lot. This past trip, I can't tell you how many people we saw carted away in ambulances. One lady I felt terrible for was lying in the street, curled up while police officers stood around her joking and laughing while they waited for the ambulance. I bet I know what that ladies problem was-dehydration.

Anyway, more next time. Have a good Wednesday!

Post-Vacation Blahs

2006-09-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

Update: Feeling much better. It's weird. This morning was blah, tonight is good. I guess whatever travel funk I had has passed. I ate what seemed like a mountain of food today, so maybe I just needed calories, despite my eating like a pig in Vegas. But I did walk the Strip about a thousand times, so I didn't gain an ounce on the trip. That in itself is a good feeling. I'm looking forward to my November Vegas trip. I'm going by myself, and am planning on just hanging out in the room, watching movies, taking long baths and eating room service.

Oh yeah, I also wanted to point out some do's and don'ts if you're planning on going to Vegas anytime soon.

1. DO eat at Ellis Island. They're located behind Bally's, and you can get a filet sirloin dinner for $4.95, and it is GOOD.

2. DON'T gamble at Bally's. Their casino isn't very good and the slots are tight.

3. If you have kids, DO visit Circus Circus and try and win some prizes for them. Some of the games are pretty easy, and some of the prizes are decent.

4. DO eat at Harrah's breakfast buffet, especially if you have a love affair with grits like I do. They do southern grits right.

5. DON'T bother with the Siren show at Treasure Island. It is so dumb you will gag.

6. If you stay at Caesar's, DO reserve a room in the Augustus Tower. The beds are SO comfortable, and there is a flat screen TV in the main room and in the bathroom. The service is impeccable, and the view of the Bellagio fountains from these rooms can't be beat.

7. DON'T play the dollar slots at Caesar's. Tight, tight, tight. The quarter machines are pretty loose, though.

8. DO check out the dueling piano's at Harrah's on Sunday nights. Especially if you're a female, you will like the piano players.

I'll post more as I think of them.

The landscaper finally started work today. I'm going to take pictures of their progress. Today they laid down the weed barrier. Tomorrow, they are starting the xeriscape, and hopefully by the end of the week, they'll have started laying the flagstone patio. I can't wait to have a backyard BBQ!

And yes, I am writing tonight. My goal is 2,000 words on either Eternal Summer or my new YA fantasy, The Dragon's Kiss.

I still haven't seemed to catch up. Just feeling a little blah.

I got my luggage yesterday and nothing was stolen, thank goodness. I even cleaned the house a little, but still seemed a little blue.

The UPS man brought a housewarming gift from my mom- the professional quality Kitchenaid mixer in stainless steel. Love it, love it, can't wait to make cookies on Saturday. That definitely helped bolster my spirits.

I should be pretty happy-my husband is out of town for two weeks. No cooking, no fighting over the AC. But I do miss him, and so do the kids. His being out of town has its good and bad points. I'm sure I'll be back to my normal self by tomorrow. Today is better than yesterday. Tomorrow will be better than today.

Let's see, what else? Not much. All the kids are happy and healthy. I haven't written anything since I went to Las Vegas. I need to sit my butt down and write, I know. Maybe today...

I'm sitting outside as I write this, and it is getting pretty dang hot, so I'll sign off for now. I'll post Vegas pics tomorrow!

Baggage Found

2006-09-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

They found our baggage, but they couldn't give me a time they would deliver it, so I'm stuck at home all day. That's okay, though, because I'm still a little tired, even though I went back to bed after the kids went to school. I slept til NOON!

Anyway, hopefully I'll get the bag soon. Then, I'll download the pictures of our trip.

We're Back!

2006-09-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

What a whirlwind trip! Everything was awesome.

We arrived in Las Vegas on time Thursday and were pleased to discover we were assigned a suite! It was beautiful!

We ate a lot and walked miles and miles. I had a highlight and haircut, which I really like (my husband thinks its a little too blonde--oh well). Friday I had a massage, which was okay--the masseuse was STRONG. Saturday we saw The Price is Right, but didn't win anything. It was fun to watch, though. So, I had a great birthday, and really, the whole trip was great.

Until today.

Southwest lost our baggage! On a nonstop flight! I never would have thought it could happen on a one and a half hour flight, but it did. All my medicine (thyroid and ambien) was in my checked baggage. Great. And my husband's duffle bag is lost, too. He had to catch a flight to San Antonio for a TDY right after we landed, so he was not happy. All his civilian clothes and toiletries were in his duffle. So, now we have to arrange somehow for that bag to get to Texas. What a bummer.

They say to always pack your medicine in your carry on, and I almost did, but thought, "How can they lose our baggage on a one and half hour nonstop flight?" So, I packed it. Never again. In fact, I don't think I'll ever check my bags again. What a hassle. I'll just buy toothpaste at my destination from now on.

Anyway, tonight I'm tired. I've got two weeks of husband-free living, which has its good and bad points.

Tomorrow!

2006-09-06T08:51:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we're off to Las Vegas!

However, my excitement is still overshadowed with Steve Irwin's death. I think I have a strong sense of empathy because I really, really feel for his wife and kids. I can't stop thinking about how sad they must be, and my prayers are focused on that family.

I know I will have a good time in Vegas, but I do wish the best for the Irwin family, and they will remain in my prayers even as I vacation.

I've got a lot to do today--laundry, packing, etc.

My husband is still in bed. He's got a lot to do today, too, but he's a little under the weather so I'm letting him sleep. For a little while longer.

My FIL went for a walk. I'll go for my walk a while later. I'll probably walk to the store. The kids were sad that I won't be home for my birthday (the 9th), so I said we'd celebrate with cake and ice cream tonight. So I need to buy a cake.

My son was crying at the bus stop. I'm not sure why, since he didn't want to tell me. I think Josh, an older kid, might have teased him. There's something a little off with Josh. He fell on his head when he was a baby and fractured his skull, according to his sister. She says that's why he's out of control most of the time. One day I found him with a hammer, trying to put holes in the sidewalk in front of our house. He also walks right into our house at all times without knocking. One day he sat in our garage after school and did his homework. Sometimes he teases my son. Yesterday he rolled over a little metal desk and nearly scraped a gash in the side of our van. Luckily, I caught him just in time. Once, my son and daughter were playing outside at a friends house, and it was time for my kids to come home, so I walked over there. Our kids and the other kids were in a car in the neighbors garage. My kids were sitting in the back seat, the other two kids in the front. One kid was fooling with the gearshift and good old Josh was also leaning in the front of the car, trying to figure out how to open the trunk. After I snatched my kids out of the car, I asked Josh what he was doing. He said he wanted to put the smaller kids (i.e. mine) in the trunk of the car!

Josh lives two houses down from us, and even though I told my kids not to play with him, he is like a little intestinal parasite-very hard to get rid of. I think it may be time to have a talk with his mom and dad.

Anyway, now I'm stressed thinking about my son, hoping his day is getting better and that he's not crying!

Too sad and too busy

2006-09-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

I'm devastated about Steve Irwin. I've loved that guy since he came on the scene several years ago. I have an autographed picture. I watched him every chance I got. He was just an amazing man, larger than life. I feel terrible for his family and have been praying for his wife and kids. Steve's death has been on my mind since I heard of it late Sunday night, when my husband woke me up to tell me.

However, life goes on. We had company this weekend, and had a good time at the zoo on Sunday, and Cliff's Amusement Park yesterday. We've been eating really well and laughing nonstop. My mother-in-law and brother-in-law went home this morning. My father-in-law will stay here until my husband and I get home from Las Vegas on Sunday. I can't believe we're going to Las Vegas the day after tomorrow. Steve Irwin's death has sort of overshadowed my excitement. I didn't know him personally, but I think everyone did in a way. He opened up his life to the camera, and it seemed as though we all partook of his adventures.

I also got an email from Triskelion, an RWA approved publisher. They offered a contract for Nerd in a Wolf Suit. I'm excited and hoping I sell lots!

Today, the kids are back in school. My husband and I are taking my FIL to a Brazialian grill and then to the bookstore.

Other than that, not much else is going on. Just waiting for Las Vegas and praying for Terri, Bindi, and Bob Irwin.

A Lazy Saturday

2006-09-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

Maid Brigade is great! They cleaned the house form top to bottom yesterday, and now I don't have anything to do today.

My father-in-law, his wife, and my brother-in-law might be coming in tonight, if they can make the flight. They get to fly free, so they have to hope for stand-by. If they don't make the flight tonight, they'll try again tomorrow morning.

Not much else is going on. I made pizza for lunch and had two pieces myself. PF Changs was excellent, as usual. I ate the whole plate of beef and chicken fried rice. Afterwards, my husband and I went on a 3 mile walk and I thought I'd explode. When it comes to fried rice, I just can't stop eating until its gone.

Its supposed to rain today, so the kids are playing outside until the first drops come down.

We have church tonight.

I am about to burst with excitement for our trip. I am looking forward to everything-getting my hair highlighted, eating, playing the slots, enjoying the pool, a massage, The Price is Right, walking the Strip. Its going to be so much fun!

Under one week!

2006-09-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

Less than one week until we're heading to Las Vegas! I am really getting excited!

With all the rain around here in NM, the place is looking less like a desert and more like a jungle. Everything is blooming. Which means my husband and poor six year old daughter are miserable with allergies. This morning my daughter woke up with her eyes swollen shut. She rubbed them so much during the night they're now black and blue. I'm not sure the school will let her stay there today, so we're expecting a call any time. I gave her Benedryl and made her lay on the couch with ice packs on her eyes for a little while this morning. At the bus stop, she looked a little better, but am not sure she can make it all day at school.

So my husband and I may have a tag along for lunch at PF Changs. My husband is at the elementary school volunteering in the library this morning while I straighten up things for the housecleaners, who come at one. Today the AF base is having a family day, which means a day off.

I started a new story last night, and its good, if I say so myself. Its a straight fantasy called The Dragon's Kiss. I don't really think I'm cut out for romance, or even romantic fantasy. I'm sure this new story will have some romantic elements in it, but I just can't seem to get the hang of writing romance. It probably doesn't help that I don't read much of it. The authors I really enjoy are Dean Koontz, Margaret George, Jodi Picoult, Alan Gold, Melanie Rawn, Juliet Marieullier (sp?), and some other fantasy authors. There are very few romances I truly enjoyed, although I did like Shana Abe's The Last Mermaid, and I am somewhat enjoying Cheyanne McCray's Forbidden Magic.

I don't know.

I'll finish Eternal Summer, and definitely For the Love of a King, but I may not write any more romances--I just can't seem to do it well, whereas the straight fantasy and Christian themed books come more naturally. Writing romance feels forced to me, and I honestly don't know what led me there in the beginning. Maybe because I was one of those morons who thought writing romance would be the quickest, easiest way to publication. All you romance writers out there know that is the furthest thing from the truth! Writing has to be fresh and masterful no matter what genre. So, I dabbled around with romance for 3 years and found that while I respect the authors and their work, it isn't for me. I've really learned a lot from my romance writer friends--their wealth of knowledge about the craft of writing has been invaluable.

But you gotta write what's in your heart, or else its forced, and everyone can tell.

In other news, I had my 12 year old daughter bring our neighbor the stress-relief bag of goodies yesterday, and my daughter said the neighbor burst into tears and said, "We really need this. Thank you." And she gave my daughter a hug. It warms my heart, and hopefully it taught my daughter a life lesson in hospitality and generosity and caring for your fellow woman (or man, as the case may be).

Have a good Friday!

Mood: Tired but Excited

2006-08-31T07:21:00.000-07:00

I fell asleep last night well enough (thanks to Ambien), but woke up around 1 am as a result of my husband gnashing his teeth. I swear, it sounds like a jackhammer. The only position he doesn't gnash is on his stomach, so I spent several minutes trying to get him to roll over.

At 2 am, my six year old came in the room, saying she was hot. So, I walk her back to bed and turn the AC cooler. At about 2:15, she's back again, saying her legs hurt. So, I walk her back to bed and say a little prayer for her.

When I get back to bed, I find my husband has rolled onto his back and is grinding away.

Just took a break to take my kids to the bus stop. One of the moms is the wife of an AF Lt. Colonel with his first command. They have four kids. That family is stressed out. The husband works non stop and isn't sleeping. The wife is frazzled because her eighth grade daughter isn't adjusting. She started at public school, but the snobby, bratty girls picked on her incessantly and she'd come home crying every day, so her parents pulled her out and put her in Christian school, which is more college prep. She does homework from 3:30 - 11:30 every night and cries about how much she hates it here. Their house has several problems, but luckily its under warranty. Anyway, she is just so upset. She had tears in her eyes as she told me all this. I understand where she's coming from because my husband is an AF officer, too, and we've done the long hours and sulky kids before. But, one of my weaknesses is speaking and knowing what to say.

So, today, I'm going to the store and getting the ingredients for chocolate chips squares. I think I'll make a little stress-reliever gift basket with bubble bath, and candles, and the cookies. Maybe that'll help, just knowing someone cares.

In other news, I'm plugging away on Eternal Summer. I'm trying to get ten good pages a day.

Seven more days until Las Vegas. I bought tickets for the stage show of The Price is Right. Looks like fun, and maybe we'll win something! I also made an appointment for a massage.

My father-in-law and his wife and my husbands brother are going to come early, possibly Saturday! I'm looking forward to that. David, my husbands brother, is hilarious, and has this deep booming laughter that makes you want to laugh, too. A hearty laugh is how I'd describe it. Anyway, we'll BBQ and have a good time!

Now, its off to the store!

Hurricane Frenzy

2006-08-30T07:11:00.000-07:00

Everyone went nuts in central FL over the past few days. Even though Ernesto was barely a tropical storm and not expecting to do much of anything, central FL played overdramatic and went nuts about it like it was going to be the next Katrina. My mom said they were breaking in on the news constantly, warning everyone to stay put and stock up and get their plywood. It turned my mom into a nervous wreck. Ernesto is now there, and at my brother's house, its raining. Not even raining hard. Just raining. It never fails to amaze me how the media can instill a frenzy among the people.

Here in NM, its hot. I'm watering the grass. The kids are getting ready for school. The maid service is coming to give an estimate.

The words are flowing on my current WIP and this may be the first manuscript where I hit 90,000 words.

My husband has the day off Friday. We're going to volunteer in the elementary school library in the morning, then go to PF Changs for lunch. Yummy.

I am so excited about our Vegas trip. I am going to eat like there's no tomorrow.

I have one observation to make today, and be glad I don't have a picture to go with it.
The observation: Nothing stinks worse than dog poop baking in the hot New Mexico sun.

Have a good Wednesday!

The Days Are Just Packed

2006-08-29T10:29:00.000-07:00

Since we moved to this big house, my days have been BUSY. I had mistakenly thought that once all the kids were in school, I'd have sooo much time to myself to do whatever I wanted.

So not so.

I wake up with the kids at seven, make their lunches and otherwise boot them out the door. After that, I do my workout, which typically lasts about an hour and ten minutes. Then I do some straightening, collect laundry, flush toilets, and that kind of thing.

Then its already lunchtime.

After lunch, I try and write for two-three hours, but that is interspersed with moving the laundry from the washer to the dryer, cleaning countertops, and cleaning mirrors, as well as running errands and emptying the dishwasher and vacuuming as well as the million other little chores that go into keeping a house.

So, basically, I get maybe an hour and a half of writing done before the kids get home.

My husband has been so generous as to offer a house cleaning service to help me get in my writing quota. So, they will come for an estimate tomorrow. I hope its not too much, because the time I would save would be so conducive to my writing career.

My other bit of good news is that I will be getting my hair highlighted in Las Vegas. It usually costs about $140 for my length hair. But at the hotel salon, I get a 25% discount and I get to use my comps to pay for it, so its basically free! I can't wait.

Not much else is going on. My mom is freaking out about the tropical storm and is going to stay with my brother for two days. She is so much more stressed since my dad died. I try and encourage her to not worry about things before they happen, and try and encourage her that she has a lot of life left and should enjoy it, but its like she LIKES to worry. Like its her new job. Worry, worry, worry.

Okay, now I've got to get some writing done.

Just because I like them

2006-08-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures from a long time ago, when me and my ex-husband went on a mission trip to England with a Christian band. On one of our few days off, we went to Scarborough and visited a castle and Anne Bronte's grave. The coast of England was beautiful. I can't wait to go back one day (next summer, actually).

Today I've been working on Eternal Summer. It's really good. A fresh twist on the vampire tale. I'm hoping I win Kristen Painter's contest. If we donate to her Breast Cancer Three Day Walk, we're entered in a contest where she will pitch one of our novels to Deidre Knight of The Knight Agency. This is the story I'm hoping will be pitched, if I win.

There was no one ring phone call last night, thank goodness.

Not much else is going on. Las Vegas is looming on the horizon and I'm gearing up for a good time.

Sunday

2006-08-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know what was wrong with me yesterday. All I wanted to do was lie on the couch. I had a headache and a fever and a tingly throat. I was really, really tired. By last night after church, I was ready to crawl into bed and hibernate for a year. I thought I was definitely getting sick. But today I feel fine. Maybe I was just overtired.

We had another late night one ring phone call last night. It's like whoever's doing it just wants to be sure we wake up. Grrr.

Today we're just hanging around again. Not much planned. I might mow the grass, depending how much energy I can muster up.

Yesterday I watched Sci-fi. Dragon King was on, and I watched most of it. I enjoyed it, and really enjoyed the scenery and the costumes. I missed the last hour or so because I had to go to church. I was within a half second of saying I was skipping church because I didn't feel up to it and also wanted to watch the movie. But, I dragged myself up from the couch and went. I'm glad I did.

One and a half weeks until Las Vegas. I am so ready for this trip! Eleven more days. I've saved up some money, so I'll be able to have a good time. It'll be a good birthday.

Other than that, not much else is going on. Happy Sunday!

Saturday

2006-08-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

I was having a great night's sleep last night until someone called at 5:00 am. It rang only once so it didn't register on the caller ID. I put the phone back and went to bed and like one minute later, it rang once again. I have a feeling it was my mother, calling for some reason and then thinking better of it. Anyway, after that it was hard to get back to sleep, and my middle kid was up at 7:00 am sharp, and coming into my room every five minutes. So, I'm tired. Today I might be a candidate for a nap.

Or maybe I'll go back to bed for a little bit.

Today we don't have anything really planned. The kids will probably play outside all day. My husband will probably update all his spreadsheets and do the little chores he likes to do like sweep. I might do some writing, or I might just lay on the couch all day and eat Wendy's cheeseburgers and frosties.

But I do have to pull myself together tonight for church.

Hope eveyone has a good Saturday!

As promised.

2006-08-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

I think these photos are funny. Yes, Bebe, I was infatuated with Duran Duran! I lived, ate, breathed John Taylor and Simon LeBon. I wore this stupid hat every day for a year. When my best friend's mom took us to their concert, I screamed nonstop and couldn't talk the next day. I wrote them letters, I bought every album and even albums from the UK. I spent every penny I got on that band.

Notice the parachute pants in the second picture. I was such a poser!

In other news, I started a new workout today, and it is GOOD. It's actually one of those you can do in your living room. It's called turbo jam, and is for men and women. It combines kickboxing with ab work and strength training. You can check it out at www.beachbody.com. Its fun, and it works.

Let's see, what else? Not much else. We're not doing much of anything this weekend. Tomorrow I'm going to splurge and get some Wendy's for lunch. Cheesburger and a frosty. It's nice to have a Wendy's right down the street.

My doctor appointment went well. There is one mole I have to have removed. And he didn't really think it was anything, but it is the kind of mole that is prone to go through cancerous changes. He just wants to take it off to be safe. I also got all my meds refilled--synthroid, ambien and my always needed Retin-A. You know, being a military spouse is nice. Retin-A is not covered by most insurance companies, and it is like $100 a tube. I get it, and all other prescriptions, for free. Can't beat that. And the wait time in a military clinic is a lot less than in a civilian clinic. I was in and out in like twenty minutes.

Not much else is going on. Have a good weekend!

Doctor's Appt. Today

2006-08-24T08:52:00.000-07:00

Today I have a doctor's appointment to have all my little freckles and moles checked. Since I grew up in the Florida sun with no sunscreen, I am prone to skin cancer. Every time a new freckle or mole pops up, I get it checked. Most of the time its nothing, but twice I've had actinic keratosis, which is like a pre-skin cancer. So, its very important to have even innocent looking moles and freckles checked, just to be sure.

Two weeks to go until Las Vegas. I am so excited!

Other than that, not much is going on. I'm going to try and write some before my appointment, but I don't expect to get a lot done.

My David story has been researched and mapped out. Now I just have to add the drama and emotion to make it an epic. At least now I know where the story is going, and I think its probably pretty accurate. I've never done this much research for a story! I'm a David expert by now.

I have two pictures today. They obviously show when I began my love affair with chocolate chip cookies. Man, that cookie looks home made. I love my mom's chocolate chip cookies. Wish she were here to bake me some today! The other kid is my older brother. He still guzzles bottles like that, but what he guzzles today isn't Pepsi (Just kidding, John!).

Tomorrow I'll post a couple pictures showing my hideous love affair with a certain 80's pop group. You won't want to miss these pictures.

Part 2: I must have thought I was a boy

2006-08-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

When I was little, I refused to wear a bathing suit top. Heck, my two brothers didn't have to, why should I? This is as close as the public will come to seeing me topless. :)

Maybe this first picture is where it all started. Did anyone else have baths in the sink?

And then, I probably progressed to this:

And then finally, to these:

In other news, I'm writing! A lot!

Where it all began

2006-08-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

I've been going through some old pictures and have made some startling observations. I'll try and post one every day. The first observation I've made is that childbirth in the late 1960's must have been painless. Here is a picture of a little baby, which happens to be me, and a gorgeous lady(my mom) who looks like she's modeling for some baby magazine. Does it look like she's just gone through hours of pain? No. She looks a little tired maybe, but still fresh. She's wearing make-up, for goodness sake! And her hair looks like a salon came personally to her room. And dog gone it, she looks thin.

Now, looking at this photo, you might think that the painless childbirth might be a blessing to be passed on to the daughter.

However, that is SO not the case, as you can see by the next photo.

This photo was taken shortly after 40 hours of pure hell. No sleep. Mother-in-law in the room. Hours and hours of very strong Pitocin, the drug from the pit of Hell. And then, right when I thought I would get some relief, the anesthesiologist punctures my spinal column with his epidural needle and what results is my spinal fluid leaking into my tissues. So, every time I moved my head, my poor brain jarred against my skull giving me a headache ten times worse than a migraine. The doctor did a "blood patch" where they take some blood out of your arm and inject it into your back. The blood supposedly clots in the hole the needle made. Well, it didn't work, and I had to go in the next day to the ER for another one, which thankfully did work. Instead of an epidural, they gave me morphine, which did absolutely nothing, and made me itchlike crazy for hours, since I'm allergic to it. My daughter was a big baby, and was really too big for the birth canal. She should have been born C-section, and even the doctor admits he should have gave the order for a C-section. She had two huge bumps on either side of her head that made her look like an alien from "Mars Attacks." I am not kidding. I'm going to look for those pictures today. You will be shocked and amazed. Luckily she has a thick head of hair today, because those bumps never totally went away.

Notice I am wearing a "Life is Good" t-shirt. Despite the horrors of those two days in labor, I have to admit, life was good that day. The precious little girl I got as a result was SO worth it.

Anyway, I look like hell in this picture. My mom seems to be a lucky lady.

Productivity is in the air...

2006-08-21T07:55:00.000-07:00

All three kids in school today. I feel good. My back doesn't hurt. I slept okay. The blinds installer won't be here til three. The house is already clean. So, it looks like I'm going to get some serious writing done. Just going to take an hour break for a workout.

The wood floors guy didn't show up yesterday, so we're not going to use him. If he can't show up for an estimate, who knows how long it would actually take him to get the work done! We're going to go with Old Reliable, Home Depot.

Looks like we're going to Belize. We're planning on working in the medical clinic for the week. On the last day before we travel home, we get to spend the day doing touristy things, snorkeling and all that. It'll be a neat trip. We're going to try raising the money to go. We need $3600 and hopefully, we'll raise more than that through friends and family. Whatever extra we raise, we're going to buy school supplies, medicines and clothes for the kids in Belize. I think it'll be a good thing for me and my husband. I can't wait to help out-to bless others and be blessed.

Let's see...not much else. I'm looking forward to a productive week!

The picture today is the missionary we spoke to eating Belize's national delicacy--roasted rat leg. They must have monster mutated rats in Belize.

To Belize or not to Belize

2006-08-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

Last night something incredible happened.

First of all, you must understand, I am not a camper. I don't camp. At all. I hate campsites, and I don't like concrete showers. I like luxury hotels with spa-sized bathtubs. I'm a very picky eater. I like meat and potatoes and mac and cheese and chicken and corn. I don't like much international fare. I don't like insects, especially spiders.

So, when this missionary to Belize stands up and starts talking to our church, I didn't really pay attention. The first thing he says is, "In Belize, we need your help." And I think, "Here he goes, he's going to ask for money."

But he didn't ask for money.

He asked us to join him in Belize for one week.

And to my amazement, I felt a tug on my heart. Like a little voice saying, "Go."

The church wants to put together a team of fifty people from our church to go help out in the jungles of Belize for one week in February.

The jungles of Belize, where the national delicacy is roasted rat legs. There are posionous snakes and giant spiders.

But, I still want to go. Desperately. My husband and I are going to attend an informational meeting today. With my medical background, I may end up being the pharmacist for the week. Or maybe I will work with the kids. I don't know. My husband didn't feel the pull as strongly as I did, but he's still very interested. He's done a mission trip to Venezuela in the past, and he said it was an eye opener. I think he's thinking this may offer a similar experience. Anyway, if this is God tugging at my heart and not insanity, I'm going to go to Belize for a week.

The missionary did say he'd put us up in a hotel with AC and a shower, although during the day, we will be in the jungle.

Belize isn't Las Vegas, but something tells me the trip to Belize will be much more rewarding.

Here is the picture of the rainbow from the other day. Notice it is a double rainbow.

Land of Enchantment

2006-08-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

I think I've seen more rainbows in the last two weeks than I have my entire life. Here's one I took from my front porch last afternoon. Ok, the picture won't load.

Today we ordered pizza, and after that, my husband and I got to go for a long walk. It was nice. The day isn't too hot, and was sorta overcast, so it was good walking weather.

Other than that, we basically did nothing. My husband got his TDY schedule, and he will be traveling a lot in the next couple months. Two weeks in September and three weeks in October. So, he said I could take a long weekend by myself in November. I was thinking about going to New Orleans, but the flight is sorta long for my back, and expensive (over $400 for a round trip). So, I booked my favorite room in the Augustus Tower at Caesar's and booked my flight to Las Vegas. The airfare is only about $250, and the room is free. So, I get to go to Las Vegas in September and again in November. Yay!

I also invited my brother and his wife out here for a visit. I think they'll take us up on it. I like Lauren, his wife. We've always gotten along well.

I love Albuquerque. When my husband gets orders again, I don't know how I'll react. I love this house. I love this neighborhood. I love the neighbors. I love the weather, and the views, and everything. This is the house I've always wanted, and it will be hard to leave it, I just know it.
I can't wait to post the "after" pictures, when the wood floors and blinds are installed. It will be so pretty.

You know, life is so full of ups and downs. I've recently survived a "down" and it was really a dark, desperate time. But now, I'm being blessed with an "up" and I'm not taking it for granted. I'm loving my husband, loving life, loving my kids, and trying to really live, to take the time to smell the roses, and enjoy my family and my life. I know there will be more dark times-everyone experiences them. But I think if I really use the "up" times to make a difference in my family's lives, I think the down times won't be quite as desolate. Life is good, and I won't let it pass me by.

Anyway, it's just about time for church. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

Desert Strangeness

2006-08-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of strange creatures that live around here. I'll hopefully post some pictures soon. Yesterday at the bus stop the kids found a massive black widow spider in a web on a wall. It was about the size of a half dollar and was sitting on her web belly up, displaying that blood red hourglass.

The other day I was outside when the sprinklers came on and I saw some movement on a bush. I get up close and it is a centipede or millipede, about six inches long! It was a monster.

And the other night my husband and I went for a walk and we saw this huge ant mound, and the ants were huge and black. They're like an inch long!

And then there are the giant lizards.

Anyway, I'll try and catch some on camera in the next few days.

Today, I had my blood test, and also made dentist appointments and my physical therapy appointments. But my back is feeling a lot better. Even walking several miles on our nightly walks are pain free.

Triskelion has requested the full manuscript of Nerd in a Wolf Suit. Keep your fingers crossed! They're an RWA approved publisher, so I'm hoping they like it.

Let's see, what else? Not much. We finally get our blinds installed Monday. The wood floor guy has put off coming to estimate for a few days now, but has promised he'll come on Sunday. The painter still has to clean our carpet, and he actually called my husband to set up a time and date to do it.

We are still waiting on approval for our landscaping for the backyard from the Home Owner's Association. They said they'd have a decision by next Friday.

Other than those things, the house is set up. I love it. I love the neighborhood and have already met some friends. Our kids have made a ton of friends. Almost every house has kids. And since this is a small, gated neighborhood, we feel safe letting our kids roam the street. So far, this house has lived up to all our expectations!

This weekend we're not doing much of anything. Saturday night we have church, and Sunday afternoon we're ordering a bunch of pizzas for the neighborhood kids to munch on. Other than that, things are good, and we are settling in nicely.

Twenty days until Las Vegas!

No spring chicken

2006-08-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day without any kids in a long time. From 8:40 until 3:40, they are all in school. The house is too quiet, even with adult television on. I could have done whatever I wanted, and planned to hit the gym, do some housework, and write.

What did I choose to do?

I climbed right back into bed and slept for an hour.

I was so tired. These last few weeks have been so busy, with unpacking and cleaning and moving furniture and going for long walks, and cooking and getting kids ready for school. This morning I was just wiped out.

I'm not as young and full of energy as I used to be.

And I'm still sorta tired. I'm thinking my thyroid is a little off, because I've been eating like a pig (see nearly empty tub of Breyers from yesterdays post) and losing weight. During the days, I've been go, go, go, and at night I crash by 9:30. I have a lab appointment tomorrow morning to get my thyroid level checked.

I am going to do some writing today. I'm finishing up some research for my David and Abigail story, and have some ideas to make it more realistic and exciting.

I'll probably start the gym next week.

We're starting to earnestly plan our Vegas trip. Deciding on where to eat, what show to see, and all that stuff. I think we might see Blue Man Group or a Cirque de Soliel. I'm definitely scheduling a massage. I'm looking forward to that trip.

My husband is going TDY for two weeks in September, then again for two weeks in October. So, he is letting me get away for a long weekend in November. I'm thinking New Orleans. Harrah's is opening their brand new hotel, and I can stay for three nights free. My mom might join me.

Not much else is going on today. I think I'll just sort of take it easy, for once.

Trying again with pictures

2006-08-16T15:48:00.000-07:00

I couldn't add them to the last post, so I'm trying with a new post. Pictures are of my six year old and my new lucky Las Vegas casino chip. Sorry about the blur on the second picture...my camera was acting up.

Let's take a picture journey....

2006-08-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

Today I actually have some time to post some pictures. Today is my sons first day of school ever, and I'm nervous, hoping he's having a good day.

Well, I almost don't have time. Since the last sentence, we received our last Penney's shipment-two dressers and the chaise. So, I've been busy inspecting and unpacking and cleaning up styrofoam. And now its 1:15, and today is an early release day for the kids, so I have to be at the bust stop in about 30 minutes. So, I guess I'll post some pictures now!
This is a picture I took out of our back yard. We have a nice view of the Sandias! And the rainbow was a bonus.

Same back yard, different day, different angle. We're pretty close to Balloon Fiesta Park, so balloons going up is a common occurence.

Today I took this picture of my two littlest before school. This was my son's first day of school.

This is my new evil passion. I'm surprised I haven't gained any weight since I started eating this like there's no tomorrow. I'm not putting it on the grocery list this weekend. I need to quit this stuff cold turkey. Notice the box is nearly empty. I just opened it yesterday.

And here is my daughter when we went to our realtor's daughter's birthday party. This was a party favor she got.

Okay, that picture didn't want to load. Let's see if my last one does. This is a casino chip my daughter found in our front yard. I thought it was a little weird, since I love Las Vegas and visit there often (only 3 more weeks til my next trip!). So, now it is my lucky chip and I keep it in my pocket. Okay, for some reason, that pic didn't load either. I'll go ahead and publish the page, then try to edit the pictures in.

I am an idiot

2006-08-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was busy. I had to take my first grader to her first day at school and also take my son to meet with his Kindergarten teacher. I had edits on Heart of the Amazon to finish, and had to edge our front yard. And I did some vacuuming and laundry. Then, I go to wait for my daughter's bus. I got there early, just in case the bus got there ahead of schedule.

Yeah, right.

Me and two other moms and one dad waited for almost an hour.

No bus.

We were starting to panic, when the bus goes down the main road, right past us. We take off running after it, and sure enough, its yellow flashers start going off in front of our neighborhood, which is a good walk from where the bus was supposed to stop. I had told my daughter to not get off the bus unless I was there. So, I'm running down the sidewalk, screaming, "Daughter's name, get off the bus! I'm here!" at the top of my lungs. Behind me, the other moms are calling to their kids to help my daughter off the bus. Thankfully, my daughter got off the bus (otherwise, they would have taken her back to school and she probably would have been terrified). Turns out the bus company doesn't have a regular driver for that route yet, so the bus driver didn't know where the stop was! Anyway, afterwards I felt like a complete goof running and screaming like that.

However, it appears that things are straightened out, because the bus was on time to pick up the kids this morning.

Why is the first day of school so nerve-wracking? I think moms are ten times more nervous than their kids.

Tomorrow is my son's first day of kindergarten. I know I'll be a nervous wreck tomorrow.

Oh yeah, I forgot about the poem and the pictures. I will post those either later today or tomorrow, I promise!

Happy Sunday!

2006-08-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

We're settling in. Everything is pretty much clean. I put the new sheets and down comforter on our new queen guest bed, and now the guest bedroom looks like a resort hotel room-it's beautiful. My husband gnashes his teeth in his sleep, so I told him that whenever he gnashes, I now have a place to sleep in peace. My father-in-law and his wife will love "their" room. We wanted to make it as nice as possible, so they would be tempted to visit often. Because when Grandpa and Grandma come visit, it means my husband and I can travel!

Speaking of Grandpa and Grandma, they're coming on the 4th of September, so my husband and I can go to Las Vegas for my birthday. We leave early on the 7th and come back on the 10th. I can think of no better birthday present than living it up in Las Vegas!

I have a lot of neat pictures on my camera, which I may post later today if I have time. My husband and I are going to go to the BX to get my two littlest ones new bikes. I got my oldest girl a new bike from Target yesterday. My two little ones don't know how to ride a bike yet, and it is high time. I'm also going to get some candles. Then, after that, we have to get groceries.

JCPenney is giving us a credit of $300 for our damaged merchandise and is coming to pick up the damaged bed within seven days. So, I may not end up getting my sleigh bed after all, but the mattress is so huge I might not want one.

For some reason, I didn't fall asleep until like four am. But I feel pretty good today regardless. Maybe I'm just too excited for the Las Vegas trip. :) Either that, or I'm cautiously optimistic about my back. I've been lifting king sized mattresses up and down stairs (with help) and moving all kinds of heavy stuff around, and my back hasn't been hurting much at all. I haven't had to take a pain pill for days, and I even made the two mile hike to the grocery store without pain. So, maybe the darn thing is finally healing!

My two little ones start school this week, and I am nervous! I'm just praying they adjust well and make lots of new friends and that they love every minute of the day.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post. On the darkest morning of my life, I wrote a blessing, and I think it will bless any of you who are married. My husband and I pray it every night and it has made a difference in our marriage.

But also stay tuned for later today, when there will be pictures!

Wireless!

2006-08-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a little better. However, the painter never showed up to clean the paint off our carpet.
I got to relax a little yesterday, before the wireless kit came from Qwest. In anxious glee, I immediately opened the box and put the installation disk into my computer. After we get about halfway through, the computer gets stuck on one part of the installation. So I turn off the computer and try again. The same thing happens. So, I call Qwest and the lady walks me through the steps. Finally, the main desktop is functioning. So I hang up with her, and go get my laptop to see if its picking up the wireless signal. It is, and I try and open Internet Explorer.
Nothing.
I try again.
Nothing.
I try everything I can think of.
Nothing.
I decide to put that aside and try and get my daughters computer to work.
Nothing.
I call Qwest again, and after about an hour of trying different things, the technician is flabbergasted, so she calls the manufacturer's technical support.
I will be forever indebted to Robert at 2Wire, because he helped me get both my laptop and my daughter's up and running. He's a genius!
Anyway, I was on the phone for 2 hours with them! My husband had to cook dinner and everything. But, at least now we have wireless Internet, and it works great!

My six year old had her first sleepover last night with a neighborhood kid. I guess all went well, because we didn't get any middle of the night phone calls. My son was upset, though, because he wanted to go to a sleepover, too. So, me and my husband left our oldest to babysit while we made the two mile hike to the grocery store for my son's favorite, Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

I also got my new scale, which measures weight, body fat and total body water percentage. I like it, especially since everything it measured was very good. I'm 131 pounds, 21 % body fat, and 50% water. What made me even happier was that it said my ideal body weight is 139.4 pounds. I'm under that!

This upcoming week will be busy. I have to write an article, make dentist appointments for me and the kids, and I will also be starting the gym on Wednesday. My six year old starts school Monday, and my son on Wednesday.

Anyway, that's all for now!

Yesterday was Baaaad

2006-08-11T07:25:00.000-07:00

Very bad day yesterday. To start, the painter shows up and the first thing he does is kick a bucket of paint over onto our carpet. If we weren't planning on wood floors, we would have been tremendously upset. The stain is about as big as a basketball! Then, our furniture arrives as the painters are painting the stairwell. Everything came in big boxes. So, me and my husband spent the rest of the day pulling stuff out of boxes. I put together two beds-the guest bed and my sons bed. We didn't put our new sleigh bed together because it came hideously damaged. So it is now in our garage, taking up a lot of precious space until the company can come pick it up.

Then, I get a call from the cable company. They had come a couple of days ago, and I paid them for installation with a check. Well, it turns out the two guys went to dinner someplace and left the truck unlock and a thief came in and stole everything out of the truck, including my check! So, I had to put a stop payment and a fraud alert on my account. I've had someone counterfeit my checks before, and it is no fun getting that mess straightened out. I prayed hard last night that whoever stole the check wouldn't counterfeit it. It's strange, because the same thing just happened to one of our joint accounts. But this account is all mine, and it makes it even worse. This is my Las Vegas money and money I've been saving for a long time. Wah!

Anyway, we lugged a huge king sized pillowtop mattress upstairs and a queen boxspring and pillowtop mattress upstairs last night at 10 pm. That's when we finally finished our work. I worked nonstop from 7 am to 10 pm, with only a break for a Coke and a few potato chips.

Today, the painter is supposed to come back and clean our carpet and buy our old leather couch and loveseat. Otherwise the painting is finally done!

The cable guy is also supposed to come hook up cable in three more rooms. Also, the telephone guy is coming to hook up our phones and wireless Internet. I am also expecting my new scale today. I'm curious to see what I weigh after these busy, strenuous days.

In other news, my oldest daughter had a good first day of school. She's also met some new friends in the neighborhood.

I got a request to write an article for The Lookout, a Christian magazine I often write articles for. I like writing for them. They pay very well and in advance and always send me contributor copies.

Other than that, we're still trying to get everything settled!

Another busy day

2006-08-09T19:55:00.000-07:00

Today was orientation day for my oldest daughter. I was a nervous wreck, but I shouldn't have been, because she had a great time and made a bunch of new friends. Tomorrow is her official first day of school.

Today, the painter came and finished the downstairs, and he says he will finish the rest tomorrow. We'll see.

I went to an art store and bought some nice artwork for my walls, then spent a good chunk of the day hanging them just right.

Tomorrow we get the furniture and I'm sure I'll spend the rest of the day putting it all together.

Not much else going on...talk to you tomorrow!

More Mundanity

2006-08-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

Update: The Everweigh scale I've had for about five years has fizzled. It keeps giving me these wild readings, like 65 lbs, or 175 lbs. I have to step on it about 10 times to get an accurate weight, and I'm not sure anymore how accurate it is. For example, the home scale weighs me at 131 (thanks to all that Haagen Daaz Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream I ate this weekend), but the scale at the doctor's office weighed me at 125 and that was in the middle of the day right after lunch. Anyway, I ordered a new scale tonight.

Took the kids for haircuts. Went to Wal Mart. Came home and put together a small bookcase for my son's room. Got my office set up. Drew our proposed backyard xeriscape and patio design for approval from the homeowners association.

Lots o'fun today.

But the house is coming together, and things are looking good, although the painter called with a lame excuse to not show up today. So he'll be here tomorrow first thing, or so he says.

Our furniture from Penney's still hasn't shown up. Hopefully it'll be here in the next day or two!

Tomorrow will be busy. Hopefully I'll be putting furniture together, and then we have to go to the middle school to register my daughter, get her lockers, and pick up her school and bus schedule. Also, we finally get cable tomorrow.

Wednesday, my oldest daughter will be going to middle school orientation, and my husband and I will be taking our other two to the "Meet the Teacher" day.

Thursday my sixth grader and first grader will start school.

Friday, I get my wireless internet set up!

Anyway, that's about it. I finished the book about Boudica. What a sad ending. Boudica and her two young daughters poisoned themselves to keep them from falling into enemy Roman hands. What a tragic story, but really really good.

Jean Ann, you rat, if you're reading this you better call me this week!

A Busy Sunday

2006-08-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was busy, too. I had to mow the front yard with a weed eater. We only have a small amount of grass and the rest is xeriscaped, so I thought I could weed eat with no problem. We haven't gotten gas for the mower yet, so that was out of the question, and the grass was getting tall. So I did it, and it was harder than I thought it would be! My arms ache!

After that, I swept up all the grass off the driveway and sidewalk (we have a blower, but there wasn't enough grass clippings to justify the work of putting the blower together). Then I took a shower and we went to church, where we reunited with a lot of old friends. It was good.

The painters still aren't done. They promise they'll be here first thing tomorrow morning and will finish tomorrow afternoon. The wood floors guy also comes tomorrow to give us an estimate. The landscaper will start xeriscaping and putting down flagstone in the backyard on the 21st. So, things are coming together.

Today, we've got to go to Home Depot to pay for our blinds, which hopefully will be installed very soon. We're also going to buy some decorative shelves for the kids rooms to put all their little knick knacky things on.

Oh yeah, I had ordered a train table for my son from Target.com, and we got it Friday. When we opened it, it was smashed. There were splinters everywhere and giant dents in the wood. Luckily, my son was outside playing when my husband and I opened it. He doesn't know we received it. If he knew it was here and it was broken, there would be major tears. So, we're returning it to the store today. Very disappointing.

Other than that, things are mundane here. Just a lot of putting stuff away.

I did submit a manuscript to Cobblestone Press, an up and coming publisher. Their response time is 30 days, so I'm hoping to hear something soon. One of the editors is an old critique partner of mine, so it's neat to see her success.

I have Internet!

2006-08-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

I'm picking up a wireless signal! Yay!

Anyway, today's post is about what I'm reading. Warrior Queen, by Alan Gold. It's the story of the Celtic Queen of the Iceni, Boudica. The book is awesome. Boudica is not your typical romance heroine. She's brutal, ruthless, but at the same time, it's impossible not to feel compassion for her. You can't help but wish her the victory. Anyway, it's a great book, and you all should go buy it and read it this weekend!

Moving Day

2006-08-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

Today we move into our new home. The master bedroom is still trashed because the painters haven't made it that far yet. They painted the living room, the hallway, and part of the family room. Today they have to do the kitchen and the accent wall in the family room and the dining room and the upstairs. It looks really good so far! I love the color. When it's done, I'll post the before and after pictures.

The bad news is that I won't have internet until next Friday, so if I'm away that long, don't you worry. I'll be back.

See you soon!

Even More Aching!

2006-08-03T07:16:00.000-07:00

Never, ever say that you think a day will be easier than the last. Yesterday was the busiest day yet! We had deliveries, the movers dumping stuff all over, people coming with estimates, inventories, boxes and boxes and boxes. I went up and down the stairs not fifty thousand times, but about a million times.

The painter is starting today. He's bringing in a team and will have the whole house painted by tomorrow afternoon.

So, today my husband and I have to get the master bedroom ready to paint, which will be a job, because of all the clothes and stuff. I looked at it yesterday afternoon and was overwhelmed. I almost don't know where to start!

Anyway, we've got to be at the house by eleven for the painter.

In other news, as if moving wasn't enough, someone forged a check from one of our money market accounts and then counterfeited some more, and has been going on a shopping spree here in Albuquerque. She's been using the same name on all the checks, and they think she's actually using her real name. Stupid. My husband is so careful with his accounts-we can't believe this happened. I never write checks off this account, and my husband never mails anything from a private mailbox, so we're stumped at how one of our checks could have been stolen.

Anyway, since it is fraud, our bank will reimburse all the money this lady is stealing. She'll be caught. I hope she liked those shoes she bought. She won't be able to wear them when she's in JAIL.

Aching!

2006-08-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

My whole body is aching! What a day yesterday! The stuff we had in storage for the last eleven months came yesterday, and after the movers unpacked everything (they basically just dumped out the boxes on the floor) we spent the rest of the day putting things away. I must have went up and down the stairs fifty thousand times. But, we got it ALL done. And I lost two pounds!

However, we have another shipment coming today, with mostly large furniture items and some kitchen stuff. So, hopefully today won't be as crazy as yesterday.

We also have furniture shipments coming in the next few days, so a lot of time will be devoted to putting those things together.

My husband called to have electricity transferred and found out the soonest they can do it is Friday, which means we won't be able to use our power screwdriver to put anything together. It's going to have to be manual muscle work, which I'm not looking forward to. And we have to delay our actual move in date to Friday as well. But, it's not too bad, because on Friday, the house will be totally ready for us.

The painter starts on Thursday, so we'll probably be in his way a lot. The landscaper comes tomorrow to help us with a design and to give us a quote. We're still trying to get a reference for a wood floors installer.

Monday, I went to the doctor for my back. He doesn't think I have any more ruptured disks, but thinks the disk that is ruptured has worsened, which makes my whole back spasm and have pain and numbness. So, he prescribed more Vicodin for my travelling, and also some Flexiril for my back spasms, and also put in a referral for physical therapy.

Oh yeah, I won't have Internet from Friday until the 11th! Ugh. I think I'll be in serious withdrawal.

One more thing. Dangerous Alumni is still doing well at www.champagnebooks.com. I'd like to sell some more books, though. If you haven't bought your copy, please visit Champagne Books and take a look, and Dangerous Alumni seems interesting to you, please help me out and buy a copy. Thanks!

For Your Viewing Pleasure

2006-07-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

Some from my son's fifth birthday, some from our temporary house on base, some from the pool:

Yes, he had two cakes. The above cake was here in Albuquerque, with Grandpa Jim visiting. The Thomas one I made below was the cake we had with family while still in Seattle:

Goofing off in our temporary abode:

The pool at our apartment in Seattle:

Recent Pictures

2006-07-29T18:07:00.000-07:00

This is a picture I took in Utah on our way from Seattle to Albuquerque:

And this is another:

And this is a rainbow in Albuquerque:

I love my new drill!

2006-07-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

I got my new power drill/screwdriver yesterday, and I just can't wait to start assembling large furniture! Luckily, my husband has use or lose leave, so he will have the next two weeks off to help me put stuff together.

I also got a wireless keyboard. I can't wait to have an office again. And now that my son is in school (full day), I can be more prolific. I can start treating writing more as a business than a hobby.

Today we're going to our realtor's daughters birthday party at the museum. That should be fun.

Other than that, we still have to go to Lowes and Home Depot, which we'll do tomorrow after church.

I'm amping up for my trip to Las Vegas in the beginning of September. It'll be fun, although I need some kind of pain control before we go. I haven't told many people this, but my back is worse than ever. I ruptured my L5-S1 disk back in February, and because we were living in Seattle, trying to get a Tricare referral was a nightmare, so I never had it treated. Now my entire back hurts and my left arm is numb. I used to be able to hike several miles on rough terrain, now I'm in agony walking through the grocery store. Riding in a car is even worse. So, I think I now have a cervical spine rupture and maybe one more in my thoracic spine, too. It's awful. I finally have my doctor appointment on Monday, but the way the Air Force is, my referrel for an MRI will probably take a month to come through. I want one of those corticosteroid epidural shots in my back. Those are supposed to stop pain for about three months, from what I've heard.

Anyway, hopefully the doctor can recommend something to take care of this.

Have a great weekend!

Closing Day!

2006-07-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

Update: We got a house! Closing went very smoothly. That is a huge relief. Later today, I'm going to the BX to pick up a power screwdriver and some other things for the new house. Tomorrow, our realtor's daughter is celebrating her third birthday, and we are invited. They are spending some big bucks by having a private party at the Explora Children's Museum. So, that'll be fun. Other than that, we've got to pay a visit to Lowes to get an estimate on our window blinds and shades, then go back to Home Depot to buy our refrigerator. Some busy days ahead!

In ten minutes, I will wake up my husband and we will go to our new home for the final walk-through. And after that, we go sign the papers and get the keys and remotes! The house will be ours! Half of our shipment arrives on Tuesday, but the bulk will arrive on Wednesday, so that will officially be our first day in the house. At the walk-through, we're also meeting the painter, who will give us an estimate to paint the interior something other than white. Last night we went to Home Depot and found that installing our blinds and shades is going to cost about $3000, so we'll get a second estimate from Lowes. We also found a refrigerator we want, so we'll go back sometime today and order it.

Yesterday I bought a boatload of new furniture. I bought a queen bed for the guest room, a king sleigh bed for the master bedroom (we've previously been living with mismatched furniture, but now we're matched), a whole bedroom set for my son, a dresser for my daughter, a desk and chair for my oldest daughter, new down comforters for the guest room and my daughters room, a train table for my son, the leather chaise pictured in the previous post, a euro top mattress for the guest room, and a super comfy Serta pillowtop for the master bed. All I have left to buy are barstools, a lounger for the backyard, and two massive rugs. And some small stuff like a wireless keyboard and a cordless telephone (ours is about 7 years old and dying).

Time to get going...I'll write more later, when the house is ours!

Shopping Sprees are Fun

2006-07-27T13:10:00.000-07:00

Today I took my two youngest kids shopping for furniture with me. Amazingly, they were both pretty good, but I didn't find anything I liked in any of the stores, so I came home and ordered almost everything online from Penneys. This chaise is one of the things I like the most that I bought today:

Cool, huh? It'll look awesome in our living room on the new hardwood floors and the area rug.

Tonight we're going to Home Depot to set up installation of window blinds and also the wood floors. We're also going to buy a good power screwdriver, because I ordered all the furniture from Penneys, so I'll have to assemble it all myself.

The pest inspection is done and our walk through is tomorrow at 9:30 am. So, tomorrow at 11:30 am, we close on our new home! Hooray!

Getting Tense

2006-07-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

Things are getting tense here. We're scheduled to close on our new home this Friday, in two days, but there is a lot that still has to happen before we can do that! Supposedly a pest/dry rot inspection has been done on the house, and we still haven't got that report back yet. Also, there were a couple very minor things the sellers had to fix (a couple of light bulbs, etc), so we want to do a pre-closing walk-through. That would have to happen today, and so far nothing has been scheduled. Our realtor is franitcally trying to get the results of the pest inspection, but the company who did it has a problem returning phone calls. So, our closing may have to wait until Monday, which cuts it very close, because our household goods are scheduled to arrive on Wednesday.

In other news, we bought a new TV last night from Best Buy. It's also scheduled to be delivered on Wednesday. It's really nice--our first flat panel. Tomorrow night we get to go furniture shopping.

We've got a busy six weeks coming up. Painting, landscaping, having wood floors installed, getting all the basic household services set up, unpacking, decorating, school starting. Whew. It's exciting, though.

Today we're not doing much. I'm going to try and meet my five page goal on For the Love of a King. Tonight, we're taking the kids bowling if we don't do the walk-through on the house.

By the way, the picture is of our new kitchen!

A Beautiful Day

2006-07-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

I love sunshine. Albuquerque is full of sunshine, although we had a monster storm last night with spectacular lightning which prevented me from going to the gym. I am excited to be here. For some reason, I love this place, even though there is practically no water.

I'm really excited to move into our new house. Things still look pretty good that we'll close on Friday, and move in next Wednesday. This Thursday we get to shop for lots of new furniture, and Friday after closing I'll schedule cable hookup and wireless Internet and phone service. And also schedule the paint guy, the wood floors guy, and the landscape guy. I can't wait to have an office again, and also can't wait to experience the freedom of wireless Internet. My friend who lives here has it, and she loves it. It'll be nice to not have to share the computer with the kids. This is definitely our nicest house yet and I'm looking forward to moving in and meeting the neighbors. The community is gated, and small. It's just one street that goes in a big oval. Maybe 30 - 40 homes? I'm not sure, but it's nice because the kids will have a hard time getting lost. :)

Another great thing about the area we're moving to is that the school has all day kindergarten. Which means I will have the whole day to myself, five days a week! Woohoo!

Right now we're staying on base, in a temporary living facility, which is basically a very old three bedroom house. The beds are rock hard and killing my back. There are a lot of flies buzzing around and I found a couple of cockroaches in the kitchen and bathroom. But the yards are very well kept and green, and there are a lot of kids for our kids to play with. Little bunnies are everywhere. This morning, a little baby bunny was lying in the yard, and I tried to take a picture of it, but before I could, my son came barrelling around the corner of the house and scared it into the bushes.

Today, I'm taking the kids to the library for storytime. After that, my husband is coming home for lunch and I'm going to the gym. It'll be my first gym workout in several weeks.

I'm also planning on getting at least five pages done on my David and Abigail story, For the Love of a King. I'm on chapter 6, and it is coming along nicely.

Oh yeah, remember that family drama I told you all about a while back? About the family meeting I was going to have with my brothers about my dad's business? Well, what that amounted to is that when my brother sells the business (probably by the end of next year), he will split the sale four ways, between me, my two brothers and my mom. He was offered ten million for the business a month ago, and he just got two major contracts that have upped the worth of the business, so he said he'd sell when he got an offer of 18 - 20 million. My 1/4 of that will be very nice! Anyway, my older brother is in charge of getting an attorney to draw up the paperwork, and that should be done next week. It's exciting, but one thing I've learned is to not count my chickens before they're hatched.

I'm Back!

2006-07-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back. As most of you know, I deleted my last blog because I had treated some people I love very much with less than the respect they deserved. With this blog, I vow to behave better, and to be "all positive, all the time."

If you're new, here's a little about me:

I'm a writer and a stay at home mom. My husband is an Air Force Officer, and we're currently stationed in Albuquerque, NM. We just moved here and are closing on our beautiful new home on July 28th. I have three children, ages 11, 6, and 5. The two oldest are girls, the youngest is a boy.

I grew up in Merritt Island, FL, and would move back in a heartbeat. I love to surf and jet ski, and am probably better than a lot of men at both sports. I also love to play volleyball and participate in cycling and spin classes. I'm very active, except when I'm lazy.

More later....

2:42 PM - I found out we're moving into our new home on August 2nd! Which is good and bad. Good because we'll be somewhat settled before school starts on the 10th. Bad because we'll be in the house while all the improvements are being made. It's a brand new house (never lived in), but we don't like the carpet and are putting in wood floors. We're also going to paint all the white walls a neutral color with one accent wall(the wall with the fireplace). We're also decking out the backyard with landscaping (it's still dirt). So, we'll just have to pay a little extra for furniture moving.

Upcoming trips include a three, possible four, day trip to Las Vegas for my birthday in September. My husband and I have reserved the Augustus Tower room again, and I already can't wait.

Upcoming book releases include:

Heart of the Amazon, coming out in September 2006, from New Concepts Publishing.
The Pirate's Secret, coming out in March 2007, from Samhain Publishing.
Her Virgin Voyage, coming out in August 2007, from Samhain Publishing.

If you can, head over to www.champagnebooks.com and help me out immensely by buying a copy of Dangerous Alumni. I really want this book to do well, and come out in print. It would make my year to sell enough copies to have it come out in print.